Published cartoon · 2026-09-16

3 Minutes to Mars

A CEO solves space travel by declaring the constraints implementation details. Then he brings the stars into the fiscal year.

Eight-panel RBM stickman cartoon: a confident CEO declares travel to Mars solved, dismisses an engineer’s practical objections, switches the destination to Planet Alpha, and demands arrival in three months despite Alpha Centauri being over four light-years away.

Why this one bites

The CEO has solved the journey to Mars by deciding it should work like a journey to Earth. The engineer’s questions about atmosphere and distance receive a familiar response: those are implementation details, and leadership only needs an ETA.

When the engineer suggests Alpha Centauri, the name alone wins executive approval. A star system becomes Planet Alpha, and a journey of more than four light-years becomes a three-month deliverable. The cartoon follows the widening gap between the power to set a deadline and responsibility for making it possible.

Transcript

Header: REALITY BYTES ME. Same People. Different Reality. Title: 3 MINUTES TO MARS.
Panel 1. CEO: We’re going to Mars. I’ve solved the problem of ‘how.’ Engineer: How? Poster: BIGGER IDEAS. A BRIGHTER TOMORROW. Mug: CEO #1.
Panel 2. CEO: Here’s the kicker: we’re going to treat Mars like any other planet. That means going to Mars will be just like going to Earth. Problem solved. Presentation: MARS — JUST ANOTHER PLANET. Same rules. Same process. Same experience.
Panel 3. Engineer: But what about the lack of a breathable atmosphere, an ozone layer, and the distance of 140 million miles? Poster: FACTS MATTER (USUALLY).
Panel 4. CEO: Those are implementation details. They’re boring. Stop boring me or you’re fired. Just Do It. CEO: What I need from you is the ETA. Poster: VISION BEATS DETAILS. Mug: DREAM BIGGER.
Panel 5. Engineer: Why Mars, sir? How about Alpha Centauri instead? Poster: SAME PEOPLE. DIFFERENT REALITIES.
Panel 6. CEO: Ooh, I like the sound of that. Alpha. Sounds like exactly my kind of place. Excellent idea, Nerd. CEO: Change of plans: we’re going to Planet Alpha instead. Presentation: PLANET ALPHA — A BRIGHTER FUTURE AWAITS. Mug: IDEAS > REALITY.
Panel 7. Engineer: …But Alpha Centauri is a star system, sir. It’s over four light-years away. Poster: INTEGRITY QUESTIONS BETTER QUESTIONS.
Panel 8. CEO: I’ll need you to do that in three months, before the end of the fiscal year. No excuses. The engineer stares in exhausted disbelief. Poster: DEADLINES MAKE DREAMS REAL (SOMEHOW). Mug: EXECUTE TODAY.
MORAL: The further you get from the technical implementation details—and the more corporate power you obtain—the less concerned you become with the constraints of reality.